All to often we look at the bad parts of humanity and curse God or the idea of Him to some of you. How could a "loving" God allow people in the third-world to starve to death in this day and age? How can there be so much poverty, disparity, and inequality?
We can find the answer to this in Luke 12:48
"Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more."
I can say without a doubt in my mind and a clear conscience when we ask, "Why Lord? Why is there starvation, disparity?" He looks right back at us and asks, "I don't know, why don't you tell Me?"
WE ARE SO BLESSED
The majority of the "defined" poor in America have cable TV, cell phones, a roof over their head. That's the truth. We don't have people that starve to death here, people rarely die of basic infections, but yet this is commonplace in the majority of undeveloped countries.
That's on us. How can we live in a 5 bedroom house, have a car for each member of the family, and have levels of excess to the point where we can have pets?
Have you ever thought about the luxury a pet is? People starve to death daily
30,000 kids died yesterday of malnutrition related aliments, and we feed can feed a dog?
(I'm not saying kill your dog, I have a dog, I love him. Just something to think about as far as our priorities go)
I'm reminded of Matthew 25. Pay attention, close close close
Matthew 25:31-46
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' 45Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Do you get this? Do you understand? Please read this again. and again. and again. Learn it and live it.
We are called to help. Give with all we can. "as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" By focusing on our own worldly comforts, which do not last. Death is soon, reallllll soon. Could be tomorrow, could be in eighty years. Either way, that's nothing, a blink, a wisp, a tick of the second hand in the grand scheme of things. Yet we focus instead as if our time here is endless, we waste time infront of the T.V. Do you think when you are about pass on from this life you will look back and think, "Damn, I'm so thankful I saw Scotty win American Idol" or "woah, I think I should have spent a little more time on Facebook"? No, no way. All of a sudden you aren't worried about your house, your 401k, your boat, your car. You don't care about your possessions, your kids are already trying to figure out who gets what, like vultures circling the a dying wildebeest. You care about how you spent your time, who you spent it with, what you put all your energy into, what lives you changed, what kind of an impact you made.
What will your legacy be?
Seriously, think about that.
What will they say? Not at your funeral, no one says anything bad at a funeral. Even abusive drunks are good guys at their funeral.
"Oh Mac had a real big heart, he just had a hard time showing it"
No Mac was a drunk and beat his wife. Don't lie
Moving forward,
Is the way you live right now the best you could possibly do? Could you love a little more? Focus a little less on the material and a little more on the lives of those around you?
Do you ever realize how blessed we are? How lucky we are to vote? (yet the majority don't) How lucky you women are to drive? To be able to go places without a man escorting you? Do you understand that in China you can lose your job and go to jail for expressing beliefs that don't fall in step with the government?
Lets do a little compare and contrast.
America:
24 deaths/100,000 live births
24 deaths/100,000 live births
Somalia:
1,200 deaths/100,000 live births
America:
Life expectancy-78.37 years
Somalia:
Life expectancy-50.4 years
American access to clean drinking water:
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 94% of population
total: 99% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 6% of population
total: 1% of population
Somalian access to clean drinking water:
improved:
urban: 67% of population
rural: 9% of population
total: 30% of population
unimproved:
urban: 33% of population
rural: 91% of population
total: 70% of population
How often do you take half-hour long showers? Or think about the Gallon and Half of water you just flushed down the toilet?
American Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
99%
male:
99%
female:
99%
Somalian Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
37.8%
male:
49.7%
female:
25.8%
What was the last book you read? You know governments throughout history have burnt books right? They don't need to burn them if no-one reads them anyways.
American GDP Per Capita:
$47,200
Somalian GDP Per Capita:
$600
Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
We are the reason people starve. I don't believe it's the governments job to stop this, it's ours. It's yours and it's mine. If we really gave a damn about someone besides ourselves we could end world hunger tomorrow. But we don't; we are so self righteous, so focused on having the latest and greatest TV, the new version of Madden, the new anti-aging cream. We aren't charitable, we like to think we are charitable, but in actuality we're not. What's 10% of your money to charity? What's 50%? If the average American gave 50% of their income to the less fortunate they would still be making annually 39 times more money than the average Somalian. Truth. This is your typical American home. The average American home is 2200 sq. ft. At $80 per sq. ft. that's roughly $160000 or what the average Somalian makes in 266 years.
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| While we live like this |
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| They live like this |
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We have this problem with our kids
So what are you going to do about it? You know what you have been told to do. If you choose to do nothing John 14:15
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I know people are going to react in the following ways: 1. America gives more to undeveloped countries than any other nation in the world And?? Obviously what we are doing is not enough. You're just saying that to make yourself feel better 2. We have poor, starving, and homeless people here. And?? Do something about it then as you write on your $1000 laptop. You're just saying that to make yourself feel better. 3. Well what are you doing about it? Does it matter what I'm doing? What are you doing about it? You're taking the burden off yourself to make yourself feel better. 4. You're taking the Bible too literally. Too literally? How else should we take Matthew 25? That's a commandment, that's the final judgment. How would you interpret Matthew 10:7-11 then? “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. Don't take any money, bag, nothing but the clothes on your back and go spread the gospel.
No no no, Jesus didn't mean that literally.
Yes, yes
He did.
He told them to do this not to make them suffer but to make them
trust in God for all their needs and to realize that everything they were given in this life is from Him
. Do you have that kind of courage?
If Jesus just showed up *POOF* boom, right there in front of you and told you to follow him would you go? In that same breath, I myself am not dropping everything, selling out, and going to be with the Lepers. What I am doing though is giving as freely as I have received. Giving love, giving the gospel, giving to those in need (not even more than I need, for who am I to judge the needs of another?) I challenge you to do the same This is what we have been COMMANDED to do. It's your salvation, you can try to distort it however you want. Pick your side, don't ride the fence, don't assume you are saved. You can test it is pretty quickly- Galatians 5:19-24 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Are you living in the Flesh or the Spirit? I don't need to know, that's between you and God. He already knows anyways. What have you sacrificed today for the sake of another? What have you gone without because you are a Christian? |
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